I use COOK'S ILLUSTRATED recipe which says, regardless of how much water you use, to use half water and half vodka -- unflavored and right out of the freezer. They maintain that the vodka helps soften it up and make it perfectly tender. Well, my pie crusts never fail. And yes, I, too use a combo of shortening and butter so you get the best of both worlds. The food process makes it all so easy. Three other tips -- don't handle the pastry too much. My grandmother swore by that rule and never, ever used her thumbs to handle the dough once it had "come together." Also, just know that hot days and rolling out pie dough do NOT go together. If it's summer time, bake your pies early in the day because it gets very difficult to manage pie dough in a hot or humid kitchen. Finally -- and this one I just learned recently at age 53! -- if you're making a two-crust pie, don't divide the dough evenly. You need about 60-62% for the bottom crust and 38-40% for the top! I just absent-mindedly divided them in half my whole life! But, that makes no sense when you really think about where they're each going!

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